SCOTTISH OFFICE AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WELSH OFFICE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales, acting jointly, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 1, 8(1) and 72 of the Animal Health Act 1981(a), and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Order:   S.I. 1997 No. 2789.   This Order may be cited as the Horse Passports Order 1997 and shall come into force on 1st January 1998.   This Order establishes a system of identification documents (horse passports) for horses registered with recognised organisations and born in Great Britain. The Order specifies the form of those passports (Schedule). The Order implements article 8 of Council Directive 90/427/EEC on the zootechnical and genealogical conditions governing intra-community trade in equidae (OJ No. L224, 18.8.90, p.55), and Commission Decision 93/623/EEC establishing the identification document (passport) accompanying registered equidae (OJ No. L 298, 3.12.93, P.45). The Order is enforced by the local authority (article 17).   A Regulatory Appraisal has been prepared and placed in the library of each House of Parliament. Copies can be obtained from the Animal Health (Disease Control) Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Government Buildings, Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 7NF.   Copies of the above-mentioned Order may be obtained from The Stationery Office, PO Box 7923, London SE1 5ZH or 71 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9AZ. Price £3.20p.